WHEN A HEADHUNTER CALLS, DON'T HANG UP; MILLIONS MIGHT AWAIT : ON THE JOB.Byline: Carol Kleiman Chicago Tribune Chicago Tribune Daily newspaper published in Chicago. The Tribune is one of the leading U.S. newspapers and long has been the dominant voice of the Midwest. Founded in 1847, it was bought in 1855 by six partners, including Joseph Medill (1823–99), who made the paper When AT&T Corp. President and Chief Operating Officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. Alex Mandl was wooed from his job by executive recruiter David Beirne to head Associated Communications L.L.C. for a reported $20 million signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee by a company as an incentive to join that company. These are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive to the employee e.g. if the annual salary is lower than they desire. and an awesome pay package, many people had this reaction: ``Gee, I wish I had been a little bit nicer when a headhunter headhunter A popular term for a person–or employment agency who recruits physicians, upper echelon executives or other professionals, matching potential employees with employers called me.'' Though few calls from executive recruiters lead to out-of-sight salaries such as Mandl's, there's a moral to the story. Be polite when the headhunter calls. Headhunters find job candidates for their clients, the employers. Retainer-based companies get paid upfront by the client. Contingency firms are paid when they find the right person. The Executive Recruiter Newsletter reports that in 1994 there were 6,000 U.S. search consultants on a retainer A contract between attorney and client specifying the nature of the services to be rendered and the cost of the services. Retainer also denotes the fee that the client pays when employing an attorney to act on her behalf. basis and 12,000 contingency recruiters handling assignments with salaries more than $75,000 annually. ``The phone call to you is one of many steps in the search to find the right candidate,'' said Barbara L. Provus, an executive recruiter for 18 years and principal at Shepherd Bueschel & Provus Inc. ``It's called `the well-placed telephone call' and is too important to ignore.'' Provus, one of the country's top headhunters, specializes in human resources The fancy word for "people." The human resources department within an organization, years ago known as the "personnel department," manages the administrative aspects of the employees. , sales, marketing and public relations public relations, activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most . She works on a retainer basis and handles searches with salaries of $150,000 and up. Calls you should graciously respond to are initial ones, which may last from 5 to 20 minutes, says Provus, and fall into two categories: The reference call. ``If a recruiter calls you to recommend other candidates, be cooperative,'' advises Provus. ``You may be assisting your own career.'' The recruiter will give you a thumbnail sketch thumbnail sketch n → esbozo thumbnail sketch n → croquis m thumbnail sketch thumb n → of the search being conducted and ask you to recommend people as possible leads. ``Give the names, even if you think the potential candidate might not be interested,'' Provus said. ``Let the person decide or the headhunter.'' Tell the recruiter what you can about the person you're suggesting. ``In the future, the recruiter may have opportunities of interest to you if you're remembered in a positive context,'' Provus said. You also can get insider feedback on salaries, growth companies and job opportunities in your field. ``The headhunter also may ascertain if you should be a candidate, even though ostensibly os·ten·si·ble adj. Represented or appearing as such; ostensive: His ostensible purpose was charity, but his real goal was popularity. that's not what the call is about,'' Provus said. So be on your best behavior. The recruitment call. The phone call to find out if you're interested in becoming a candidate is rarely a cold call: Provus first sends out information about herself and the company she represents. ``This call is sort of a mating dance, particularly if you're employed and not actively looking,'' she said. Respond by asking that information be sent to you and time to think about it. ``Be professional and courteous cour·te·ous adj. Characterized by gracious consideration toward others. See Synonyms at polite. [Middle English corteis, courtly, from Old French, from cort, court; see ,'' Provus said. ``Remember, there's no such thing as lifetime employment.'' The fact that recruiter Beirne, 32, reportedly got $300,000 and stock in the company for finding Mandl, has given recruiting a high profile. ``Beirne's is not a typical story,'' cautioned John R. Sibbald of St. Louis, president of his own search firm. ``But you'll see more stories like his as a consequence of the demand for people in the high-technology sector.'' Sibbald is author of ``The New Career Makers'' (Harpers Business, $28.50), an analysis of the nation's top recruiters. He estimates retained recruiters earn $150,000 annually; contingency, $50,000. Many make much more. The work is demanding. ``Executive search is fiercely competitive,'' Sibbald said. ``It takes tremendous analytical and presentation skills. Recruiters are counselors to business and go beyond placing bodies and walking away.'' |
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